Over the last couple decades, the United States has placed increasing emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. In recent years, some programs have added Art to their curriculum, (STEAM), dedicating a greater focus on creativity and design thinking. Regardless of the exact composition of the STEM or STEAM program, the objective is the same: to provide students with the skills necessary to not only be successful in the modern world, but also to help shape the future.

As an educational technology company, Test Innovators is particularly interested in furthering the efforts of these innovative programs. Check out nine of the most inspiring and unique STEM and STEAM programs below:

1. Thriving in a changing world:

Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte, NC

Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina seeks to “prepare the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers.” As a pillar of this mission, they prepare students to “lead and thrive in a changing world,” which ties directly into the school’s STEAM curriculum. A highlight of the program  is  a four-week unit for seventh graders on engineering design and development during which they develop therapeutic game ideas. Over the summers, Upper School students participate in real-world science research at college and university labs. That being said, STEAM is not only for older students: the introduction to the curriculum begins as early as kindergarten, where students participate in design activities such as building simple machines, laying the foundation for the skills they will continue to develop as they tackle ever-more-complex learning.

2. Deep STEM learning for K-8:

The Acera School, Winchester, MA

The Acera School in Winchester, Massachusetts similarly challenges its students to achieve deep STEM learning in the early grades. The K-8 school creates an environment in which Acera students are unintimidated by difficult subjects and fearless when tackling  new concepts in a fast-paced environment. Students are introduced to computer science and coding as early as age 5, and become intimately familiar with using all kinds of technology throughout their 9 years. This includes lab classes, engineering, wood shop, electronic arts, and various programs developed by curriculum collaborators from places like MIT and Boston University, who bring projects like the Amino BioLab microbiology platform and CRISPR gene editing to campus.

3. Ability-based STEM learning:

Nysmith School, Herndon, VA

The award winning Nysmith School was founded in 1984 and currently serves 550 students from Pre-K through 8th grade on campus in Herndon, Virginia. Nysmith is designed specifically for students who love to learn, creating an environment where students’ individual talents are nurtured. Plus, the school has consistently scored in the top 1% of all categories in the IOWA Standardized Test for over a decade. In terms of STEM curriculum, Nysmith’s program is no less impressive. The school teaches advanced mathematics up to four grade levels above the students’ current ones, as students are placed in appropriate courses where they will be both challenged and successful. Students also have daily lab and computer science classes, spending an average of 3.75 hours on science and 2.5 hours on computer technology per week.

4. STEM to benefit society:

Maine School of Science and Mathematics, Limestone, ME

The Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a public residential magnet school located in Limestone, Maine, brings together the state’s  most academically motivated high school students to “become innovative, well-rounded scholars with the ability to develop, investigate, and communicate critical ideas that improve the human condition and benefit the people of Maine.” This approach is a testament to what the STEM movement seeks to do: prepare students to create holistic solutions to real-world problems. Beyond the rigorous curriculum in both the sciences and the humanities, students at MSSM also have access to opportunities such as math competitions, a biomedical summer camp, and other opportunities in Maine and beyond. All students live on campus in order to fully participate in a scholastic program of excellence with peers who share similar interests.

5. Project-based design and engineering:

The Urban School, San Francisco, CA

The Urban School in San Francisco, California, offers UrbanX Labs, an interdisciplinary program that integrates design and engineering into project-based courses. The program is built around  the design, technology, and engineering needs of the 21st century. Students participate in courses and co-curricular opportunities such as applied physics with motion and machines, electronics and robotics, or electricity and magnetism. There are also courses for advanced computer science topics, industrial and graphic design, and research and development. UrbanX courses teach students the fundamentals of discovery, innovation, creativity and problem-solving, all deeply rooted in Urban’s highly academic and supportive teaching environment.

6. The art and science of making:

The Athenian School, Danville, CA

At The Athenian School, a co-ed college prep boarding and day school in Danville, California, a focus on engineering and design is founded on the idea that creating and making are crucial skills. The school’s making programs began in the early 2000’s with the “Spirit of Athenian” airplane project, where students assemble a fully functional, FAA approved two-seat plane by hand. The school’s robotics program was also a pillar of innovation, sending the sAthenian students to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition annually. Through the design process, students learn how to tackle challenging problems, think creatively, persevere through failure, collaborate with peers, and work independently. This prepares them for standard academic challenges as well as dynamic, creative, and technological problems and projects. 

Some of the core classes offered in the areas of engineering & design are Project-Based Introduction to Computer Programming, The Art & Science of Making, CAD Programming, and Applied Science. The Athenian School has two main design and engineering workspaces–the Maker Studio and the newly built Carter Innovation Center, which houses a computer/CADD/3-D printer center. . 

Athenian also hosts The Diamond Challenge, an international competition sponsored by the University of Delaware’s Horn Entrepreneurship. The Diamond Challenge “invites high school students worldwide to build solutions to solve problems they are passionate about and join a growing community of innovators and changemakers.” Past projects range software and data modeling to improve the success of corrective spinal surgeries to a wall mount system that converts a standard projector into an entertainment system.

7. Invention and innovation:

Graland Country Day School, Denver, CO

Graland Country Day School in Denver, Colorado provides students in grades 5 through 8 the opportunity to participate in real design in the school’s Gates Invention and Innovation Program. The Gates Program, founded in 1998, pushes students to solve real-world problems through the invention of original products, possibly earning themselves U.S. patents in the process. The school has also developed an entire Innovation Department, which finds ways to collaborate with teachers and develop innovative teaching methods. Josh Cobb, the current Head of School who’s been with the institution for over 20 years, states that Graland has been “devoted to [a] tradition of excellence by providing students with experiences that broaden their perspectives and foster both their intellectual and character strengths so that they can thrive in school and in life.” 

8. Women in STEM:

The Girls’ Middle School, Palo Alto, CA

All too often, as girls enter adolescence they begin to turn away from male-dominated fields of study such as science, technology, and math. Although women’s representation has been increasing over time, The Girls’ Middle School in Palo Alto, California believes that it’s imperative to continue to take girls’ STEM education seriously. In an inclusive environment where academic growth is nourished, a GMS student can “discover her strengths and express her voice while respecting the contributions of others.”  

The three-year curriculum  at The Girls’ Middle School includes a revolutionary Computer Science module, a diverse and hands-on Arts and Media syllabus, and an Information Literacy program. Additionally, GMS offers a unique program called Intersession, during which the faculty puts academic classes on hold for a full week and encourages students to try activities that are either entirely new to them or that they want to explore deeply. This bi-annual tradition is a lasting memory for all graduates. 

 Additionally, technology is integrated into all aspects of the curriculum and arts programs, and students in the science program practice the skills that professional scientists use every day, engaging in multiple hands-on explorations, inquiries, and projects as they explore the natural world. The majority of STEM classes at the school are taught by women who are experts in their fields, solidifying for students the fact that they can be successful at anything they put their minds to.

9. STEM for students of color:

Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

The lack of diversity in STEM fields is not only a gender divide. Phillips Academy’s (MS)² program (standing for Mathematics & Science for Minority Students) in Andover, Massachusetts was created in 1977 by Head of School Theodore Sizer in order to advance diversity in the STEM fields by developing the competencies and self-confidence of outstanding students of color. The result is a truly transformative outreach program, which takes 35-37 high-potential students of color from public schools in targeted cities every year and provides a STEM-based three-summer residential program that challenges them intellectually and exposes them to peers and educators with diverse backgrounds, life experiences, and aspirations. Many of the students who attend (MS)² go on to study at prestigious universities and secure  jobs working for major companies in the most competitive fields.